POTTSVILLE — The Pottsville City Council approved a 50-cent-per-hour increase for all Pottsville police officers during its regular meeting Monday night.

Mayor Jerry Williams said he and Police Chief Blake Herren discussed the need for an increase after losing a few officers to surrounding agencies.

"This is not the first time we've lost valuable employees due to a better pay situation," Williams told the council. "The [police] chief and I thought that maybe our bottom portion was a little low and that way we can give them a 50-cent increase during this year and maybe in the budget session next year, add another 50 to it so we might be able to raise theirs a dollar over the next year and a half."

The 50-cent-per-hour raise would bring all officers' salaries to $27,000 or more.

"If someone comes in and applies, that [$27,000] will be their starting salary?" Alderman Milton Eoff asked, to which Williams responded "yes."

Aldermen approved increasing the reconnect fees from $25 to $35 for customers who have their water shut off for nonpayment.

City Clerk Carless Teeter said about 30 customers are shutoff and reconnected each month, which Williams said costs the city money.

"We lose about $6,000 to $8,000 on reconnecting," Williams said. "Every time, we send out a letter and then have to go back out [to disconnect it]. Then we have to send that person back out to turn that water back on. We spent two days at least going back and forth after that person receives that notice."

Eoff asked if it was possible customers just weren't receiving their bills.

Public Works Director Jason Howard said customers have ample warning, including a notice hung on their doors, before the water is disconnected.

Aldermen tabled discussion about possibly shortening the time fireworks are allowed for the Fourth of July holiday. Currently, Pottsville has the longest time frame fireworks are allowed — from June 28 to July 10 — in the Arkansas River Valley, with the most common end date being July 5.